Shakespeares Hamlet - The Character of Gertrude Essay examples -- GCS

juncture the Character of Gertrude Shakespeares tragedy, Hamlet, presents ten male characters for every one female character. The further prominent female characters are two Ophelia, Laertes sister and Polonius daughter and Gertrude, the queen and wife of Claudius and mother of Hamlet. This essay will explore the character, role, and importance of Gertrude. Prince Hamlet ab initio appears in the play dressed in solemn black. His mother, Gertrude, is apparently disturbed by this and requests of him Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off, And let thine eye typeface like a friend on Denmark. Do not for ever with thy vailed lids Seek for thy noble father in the dust Thou knowst tis common all(a) that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity. (1.2) The queen obviously considers her sons dejection to result from his fathers demise. She joins in with the king in requesting Hamlets stay in Elsinore rather than returning to Wittenberg to study. Respectfully the son replies, I shall in all my best obey you, madam. So at the outset the audience notes a decidedly good relationship between Gertrude and those about her in the drama, even though Hamlets suit of affliction has been a visible and public protest against the royal marriage, a protest in which he is completely alone, and in which he has hurt his mother (Burton Hamlet). Hamlets first soliloquy expresses his anger at the quickness of his mothers marriage to Claudius, and its incestuousness since it is between family Frailty, thy name is woman . . . . When the ghost duologue privately to Hamlet, he learns not only about the murder of his father, but also about th... ...the climax approaches, Osric invites Hamlet to a rapier contest with Laertes. During the pair off Gertrude drinks from the cup poisoned by the king to kill Hamlet. As she dies, she speaks, The drink, the drink I am poisoned, which words motivate Laertes to confess that the king is behind the treachery. Thus he dies by Hamlets hand. Then Hamlet and Laertes die, wounded by the poisoned sword meant for Hamlet. Thus, once again, Gertrude is pivotal, is crucial for plot development. WORKS CITED Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of literary Terms, 7th ed. New York Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999. Burton, Philip. Hamlet. In The Sole Voice. New York The Dial Press, 1970. http//www.freehomepages.com/hamlet/other/burton-hamlet.htm No pag. Jorgensen, Paul A. Hamlet. http//www.freehomepages.com/hamlet/other/jorg-hamlet.htm No pag.